Microsoft VP: 'play the games, not the resolution'

"If you were just looking at screen resolution and framerate, you'd be a PC gamer... But that doesn't mean the best games are there. It doesn't mean it's the best all-in-one experience."

One of the big controversies leading up to Xbox One's launch is what's (unfortunately) being called "resolutiongate." Major multiplatform games are running at a lower resolution on Xbox One than PS4, which calls into question the console's capabilities. Microsoft Studios VP Phil Spencer has defended Xbox One, saying gamers shouldn't focus on the numbers, but the experience.

"Go look at the games. Go play the games and tell us what you think about what they look. Right now, gamers don't have the games to go play. They can't walk into their local store and play the games. So, it doesn't really surprise me that they're going to focus on the specs that they can. I don't criticize anyone for doing that. In the end, we play the games, not the resolution," Spencer said.

Spencer isn't particularly concerned about Xbox One's latest scandal. He believes that once the system comes out, it will become less of an issue. "In absence of me getting my own Xbox One or PS4 games, I'm going to focus on the meme of the day, which happens to be resolutiongate," he said hypothetically. "But I think it'll blow over as people get to play the games."

But surely, Spencer must be somewhat concerned that Xbox One is seemingly less powerful than PS4? He argues that there are more factors to consider than just resolution. "Power is a subjective term. We look at all of the capabilities we put in the box, our investment in cloud, Kinect, and all-in-one entertainment, and our investment in the operating system for fast task-switching," he said. "We think we've built a very powerful system. I don't think there's any one vector of power that you can focus on and say we win because this number is bigger than that number. It's like a car. Is it horsepower? Is it torque? There's a bunch of things that you look at to see what it's capable of."

"Our proposition with Xbox One starts with the games: we've got a great launch lineup of over 20 games. We've got some great franchises, great third-party relationships. And we've built a system that natively understands you and your entertainment. I think in the long run, our hope and bet is that power will play out and show people that everything they've learned about gaming on 360 can now augment everything they can do on their television."

"You look at high-end PC games right now. If you were just looking at screen resolution and framerate, you'd be a PC gamer. Because you can spend $800 on a video card and put it in. I've built those rigs. I can play those games. And I understand that. But that doesn't mean the best games are there. It doesn't mean it's the best all-in-one experience."